Paleo Diet Review: Does it Work?

A diet that follows the eating style of our primate ancestors.

What is it?

The Paleo Diet is a diet that claims to be the most effective way to improve overall health. The basic premise is that by eating much like our ancestors did, our bodies will remain healthy since they have been accustomed to only eating these kinds of foods.

It’s also known as the caveman, stone-age and Paleolithic diet. It’s based off of eating whole unprocessed foods and limits anything which our ancestors didn’t have access to. It’s a recently popular fad diet that is suggested to be the best solution for overall health benefits. Our experts have rated many different weight loss diets and found the 18Shake Diet to be the most effective. It offers a combination of both anappetite suppressing meal replacement shake and a fat burning stimulant free diet pill. To learn more about what 18Shake Diet has to offer, click the link provided here.

Paleo Diet Ingredients and Side Effects

The basics of the diet are to exclude certain foods and only eat specific foods. The follow cannot be eaten:

• Dairy products

• Grains.

• Legumes such as peanuts and beans.

• Sugars of any kind

• Potatoes.

• Salt.

• Alcohol.

• Processed oils.

• Coffee.

None of the above can be ever eaten; there are no exceptions to this rule. What is emphasized as being edible includes the following:

• Vegetables, fruits, and nuts.

• Organ meats, meat, and roots.

There are multiple sources available online that provide support for the diet. It suggests eating like humans ate during the Paleolithic era. Not much is known about the dietary habits however, and it’s unknown if they did in fact not eat wild grains and legumes.

The belief is that our digestion system has been made accustomed to eating like this, and therefore it’s the best diet plan. It’s not necessarily a weight loss diet, though it does mention it can reduce the risk for many obesity related diseases. While it does introduce manyhealthy foods, one can still become overweight if they eat too much. There is no mention of calorie counting or measuring macro or micronutrients.

By eating like this one will be introducing a high-protein, high-fiber meal plan though, as there are very few carbohydratesavailable from the limited food menu. Web MD has this to say about the Paleo Diet:

“Eliminating all grains, dairy, processed foods, sugar, and more will most likely lead to weight loss, but it may be a tough plan to follow long term due to the dietary limitations and restrictions”

There are a lot of restrictions that make it so you have to avoid foods that provide sufficient vitamins and minerals.

Another issue comes from a review by Scientific American which adds:

“We are notbiologically identical to our Paleolithic predecessors, nor do we have access to the foods they ate”

Another major flaw is due to the knowledge that:

“deducing dietary guidelines from modern foraging societies is difficult because they vary so much by geography, season and opportunity”

Not everyone has ancestors from the same region, and there were different food selections offered. Essentially, our ancestors had to eat whatever they had access to. So even they had varied diets.

The belief that the food we ate has to be limited to just a few food items for health is not based on science. There are far too many considerations which make it impossible to follow this diet correctly. Essentially, it’s basedonan unproven idea that cannot be replicated to today’s modern times.

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Paleo Diet Quality of Ingredients

The diet mostly suggests what cannot be eaten. This includes dairy which is high in calcium, grains with high fiber and nutrients, legumes that contain a high amount of protein, and even certain oils which are often used to cook with.

While eating a diet that has no processed ingredients is healthy, and reducing sugar should be considered, there are far too many restrictions which make it hard to live up to this diet.

There also have been issues with a lack of vitamin D, calcium, and reduced bone health while on this diet. This is due to the banning if certain foods which would easily prevent this issue from happening. This is why it’s often suggested in websites which mention this diet to supplement with vitamins and minerals to make up for the loss.

The Price and Quality of Paleo Diet

One will have to spend a lot of money on making sure to buy whole foods and unprocessed goods. It can be pricy and more time consuming to have to create meals from scratch, since many processed foods can make cooking easier.

You also have to avoid most things to add flavor such as things like ketchup, dressing, and other foods. It can also become difficult to have to avoid all grains such as rice, beans, lentils, peanuts, and other foods.

The price also depends on whether or not one gets quality produce. Since meats are a big part of this diet, and it’s preferred to get grass fed and free range meat, this can also raise the overall cost.

Business of Paleo Diet

There are a few available resources on how to start the diet and what recipes to follow. Books are also offered which explain the diet further. However, the basic premise is to make sure to stop eating foods which are claimed to have not been eaten by our Paleolithic ancestors.

Overall, the diet makes a lot of suggestions which are not backed by science. Very few clinical studies are available, and the few that exist are not conclusive.

There are many foods one cannot eat, and it forces the diet to be high in both protein and fiber. While it’s known that not eating processed foods is good, it can be difficult to stop eating all the foods banned such as sugar, salt, dairy, grains, many fruitsexcludingberries and other foods.

Customer Opinions of Paleo Diet

There are many reviews; here are some direct quotes from those who have tried it:

“why would you ever want the health of a time when our ancestors lived literally one half as long as we do now”

“In paleo’s case, it’s hunkered down on some pretty silly “science”

“If you really ate what we used to back in the day, I really doubt you’d fare that well”

People often questioned the science and found there is a lack of questions. Some found it hard to eat foods, as they were very limited on what was offered.

Some also raised an interesting question as to why one would want to eat like our ancestors who didn’t live as long as we currently do. There were some supporters who mentioned they enjoyed the fact it banned processed foods, but overall there are positive thing and negative things to the diet. The highest ranked diet plans can be seen in the link here.

Conclusion - Does Paleo DietWork?

The Paleo Diet does ban certain foods which should be limited such as alcohol, processed foods, and sugars. This can be healthy for weight loss and overall health. There are also introduced foods such as wholesome foods that are unprocessed. The science behind this diet is limited, as there’s a lack of comprehensive studies. It can be extremely hard to have to ban things like salt, certain oils, dairy, grains, and other foods. People who have tried the diet mention it’s difficult to keep eating like this. This is also not made specifically for weight loss; it’s mean more for overall health. Still, one can still gain weight as there is no calorie counting or techniques made to help promote weight loss.

Our experts rated many different weight loss plans and found the 18Shake Diet is the most effective. It offers acombination of a wholesome meal replacement that suppressesappetite for hours, and a diet pill made to burn fat. This can lead to increased weight loss benefits to help provide well-rounded weight loss. There are no stimulants, binders, fillers, artificial colors, artificial flavors, or any cheap additives. Testimonials and positive reviews from customers have left glowing reviews on the official website.

User Feedback

When this diet program was introduce to me by a friend I was a bit hesitant to try it. After a month of practicing the Paleo Diet program with some of the best Paleolithic Diet Food List that he gave me. I started to like the diet and has been following it for almost a year now.

How can you live on the paleo diet forever?
I have been on this diet 3 years ago. I have lost incredible 50 pounds n half a year .. HOWEVER I have gained 40 back right after I started eating normaly (mind you I do not eat fast food, frozen food etc. I am mostly vegetarian! ) I also work out 6times a week.
On this diet my cholesterol went sky high, so even though I was thin, I was full of nasty meat inside and bad blood.
I think people should eat everything, but not over eat themselves .. work out and it will be all good, without any retardet diets.

Those on the Paleo diet do NOT say they don't eat carbs. They simply don't consume the volume of carbs pushed/accepted in the Standard American Diet (SAD), as they avoid processed foods in general and harmful carbs in particular, such as grains, legumes, sugars, and dairy, and products made from these things.

Of course vegetables and fruits are carbs and contain sugars, but they also contain an abundance of nutrients and water soluble fiber. And they are less calorie dense; it would be tough to over-consume carbohydrates eating fruits and veggies alone.

Folks who ascribe to the paleo and other low-carb diets would probably tell you, though, that it is possible to live without carbs all together, if it was necessary. There are essential amino acides (proteins) and essential fatty acids that cannot be synthesized by the human body, but there are no essential carbs.

That might be worth a look up. Keep up the good search!

posted Oct 18th, 2011 6:47 am

Emily

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I feel SOOOO much better after switching to the Paleo Diet! I was taking allergy pills everyday for airborne allergies and as long as I stick to the diet, I don't have to take any more pills! Plus, after seeing the change in my health, I looked into triggers for rheumatoid arthritis and found which foods exacerbate it. Once I cut out those additional foods, my arm, which had pretty much crippled me for the last 8 years, stopped hurting! Who knew food could make such a difference in how I feel!

posted Sep 7th, 2011 2:32 am

Ann

Not all versions of Paleo say you can't have dairy. Some site evidence that paleolithic man did have access to milk. I really don't see how limiting grains and beans means your diet is "strict" or lacks variety. ^__^ For me, rice, bread, beans and pasta have been filler food. I instinctively take off the bread on my burgers and instead of the side of rice, I get more veggies. This was all before I heard about Paleo. I just never felt great eating those things, come on, who feels energized after a big plate of pasta?! ^__^

And even if you do avoid milk, it's not the only way or the best way to get calcium! I think we are all used to that old food pyramid with the ridiculous amounts of grains on the bottom. That guide was meant for a generation of people that needed cheap, calorie-dense filler-food to fuel hours of labor intensive activity. Additionally, you can get all the vitamins and minerals from other sources.

And as for people eating more meat having a higher risk of diseases: I bet those people are sitting on their butts too. I bet they don't add many fruits and veggies either. Diet is a bigger picture. I think a bit of beans and grains might be fine for someone who can tolerate it. But I don't want to "tolerate" my food. I want it to be the optimum fuel for my body. I just don't feel that way about eating so many grains (6-11 serving as per the guidelines) . Everybody is different though. Some may have a mutation that helps them do better with grains, just as some have a mutation that helps them with lactose intolerance.

posted Jul 14th, 2011 12:23 pm

Dave

Those on the Paleo diet say they don't eat carbs... Yet, they eat fruits and veggies - aren't these carbs? This is confusing. Example, A medium gala apple is about 70 calories and 19 grams of carbs, no fat, no protein.

posted Jun 28th, 2011 1:03 am

Jaci

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This is largely how I eat in general and I don't call it a "diet" at all. I do eat carbs, but usually only in the first half of the day. I don't add sauces or oils unnecessarily and I always try to only eat foods that I find delicious for their own flavor, not the flavor of what I smother it in. It's neat to know that there's a diet that is based around a belief similar to mine: we evolved to eat certain foods!

posted Jun 21st, 2011 7:36 am

raquel montoya

i didnt like this diet because u hurty alot of animals,,, go vegans!

posted Mar 9th, 2011 3:41 pm

Kevin H

Paleo diet solved my health problems within days! Now I blog about how I'm making my whole life paleo.

posted Oct 27th, 2010 8:35 pm

DJ

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I know many people who have lost plently of weight on this diet. On in particular lost 6 lbs in the 1st week. It is hard, but after 1 week I felt more alert throughout the day, I slept better at night, and I had a mood change (for the better). My exercising improved dramatically as well! Great diet!

The Paleolithic Diet, also known as the Paleo Diet or the Caveman Diet, is one that includes eating the foods that were consumed by those living during the Paleolithic times some 10,000 years ago.

The concept behind the Paleo Diet rests on the hypothesis that our bodies are genetically and evolutionary designed to survive and thrive on the foods that were available to our early Paleolithic ancestors.

The main foods within the Paleo Diet are meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots and nuts. There are no grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar or processed oils because this type of eating took place before the development of agriculture.

The Paleo Diet was very first made popular in the 1970s by Walter L. Voegtlin, and has since been revised and recreated by numerous authors and researchers throughout several books.

The diet has been classified as a fad diet by the American Diabetic Association.

Those who support this plan believe that much of the obesity epidemic as well as the increase in weight-related health conditions are the result of the consumption of grains, flours and sugars, which are all kinds of carbohydrates.

Diet reflects the evolutionary purpose of how our bodies were first designed to eat and metabolize food

Focuses on eating foods that come from the earth and animals, rather than processed foods

Low carbohydrate eating plan will assist in weight loss

Supports clean-eating and eating a whole-foods diet

High fat and protein content of diet makes it a very satiating eating plan

Scientific studies have shown positive health benefits from following the Paleo Diet

Naturally gluten and casein free

CON

Strict and limited eating plan may be impractical for today's living

Deemed as a fad diet by some health experts

Diets high in meat and saturated fat are associated with health risks

DIET and NUTRITION

The Paleo Diet consists of foods that can be mainly hunted or gathered. Foods that were introduced after agriculture was developed are not allowed on the Paleo Diet. Some of the foods that can be consumed on this program include:

Meat

Chicken

Fish

Eggs

Fruit

Vegetables (excluding potatoes and sweet potatoes)

Nuts (excluding peanuts and cashews) and seeds

The following foods are not allowed:

Grains

Beans

Dairy

Sugar

Salt

Legumes

Flours

A typical diet might look like this:

Breakfast might be scrambled eggs with a side of fresh berries.

Lunch might be a green salad topped with grilled chicken breast or shrimp.

Although some books on the Paleo Diet may include an exercise regimen, the general scope of this diet does not cover that.

Since our ancestors were constantly moving, it is recommended that you engage in as much as physical activity as you can, particularly if you are trying to lose weight.

CONCLUSION

The Paleo Diet is one that takes eating back to how our hunter and gatherer ancestors ate. Eating only foods that are from nature, such as meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruits, the Paleo Diet has shown promise not just for those who want to lose weight but also for those who want to improve their risk of diabetes.

But critics argue that this type of eating is unsafe and can deprive your body of some of the nutrients it needs such as calcium. Also its highly restrictive nature can lead to quick burnout.

Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian if you are interested in following the Paleo Diet.

The information provided within this site is strictly for the purposes of information only and is not a replacement or substitute for professional advice, doctors visit or treatment. The provided content on this site should serve, at most, as a companion to a professional consult. It should under no circumstance replace the advice of your primary care provider. You should always consult your primary care physician prior to starting any new fitness, nutrition or weight loss regime.